Flight Safety Information
December 10, 2015 - No. 247
In This Issue
Raise safety standards to avoid aviation disasters
Thailand spared from EU's blacklist of airlines
New Yorker pleads guilty to disrupting Jet Blue flight on way to PBIA
ISIL cyberattack on airplane unlikely, federal intelligence analysts reported
Singapore, land of the world's best airport, will soon manage a few in India.
Honda Aircraft receives type certification for HondaJet
Boeing delivers fourth 737 radar jet to Turkey.
Boeing Debuts Major Upgrade To Its Most Popular Jet
Airbus patented new designs for a jet that could fly from London to New York in 1 hour
Free snacks are back at United Airlines. Yes, in economy
Research Survey
Upcoming Events
JOBS AVAILABLE (New Positions)
Raise safety standards to avoid aviation disasters
The combination of a mechanical fault and pilot miscommunication that lay behind the crash of AirAsia
Flight QZ8501 last December represents the worst of two worlds in aviation: technical failure and human
error.
The investigative report, released by Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee, notes that
the pilots' inability to deal with a midair technical fault led them to lose control of the aircraft.
A chilling fact that has emerged is that the rudder system of the jet used for the doomed flight showed a
problem 23 times in 12 months and, in fact, the faulty component got worse in the three months that
preceded the crash.
The fault occurred four times within 40 minutes of takeoff. The pilots dealt with the first three, but their
attempt to correct the last was fatally futile. The plane, which was flying from Surabaya to Singapore,
crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 162 people on board.
Evidently, the fault involving the rudder was crucial to the chain of events that ended in disaster. The
trend of mechanical malfunctions should have caught the sustained attention of the maintenance
authorities.
Although there were apparently other factors as well that contributed to the crash - such as the inability
of the pilots to handle the plane in upset conditions, or during a violent roll - the maintenance regime
needs to be scrutinized closely to establish the role it could have played.
Moving beyond the particular causes of the AirAsia crash, every accident leaves behind lessons which, if
learned and remembered, could help prevent the next tragedy.
The main lesson is the critical importance of safety based on a robust maintenance regime and the
rigorous and continuous training of pilots to handle contingencies.
Whether airlines abide by these standards depends in turn on a national regulatory framework that
makes it impossible for operators to get away with substandard safety practices.
That framework is likely to be a resilient one if aviation watchdogs in other countries maintain consistent
scrutiny. Indonesia's air safety record and now Thailand's standards as well have drawn unfavorable
international attention. Countries must step up efforts to improve standards.
For airlines, particularly low-cost carriers, the pressures of staying profitable in a competitive market
must not result in cutting corners to reduce costs.
Turnaround times are a matter of concern, given that budget airlines tend to use their aircraft more
intensively than full-service carriers. A British newspaper reported air traffic controllers as saying that
pilots from some low-cost airlines are under such pressure to meet tight deadlines that they disobey air
traffic control instructions.
Such dangerous practices are likely to be stamped out if passengers make their displeasure clear by
avoiding the offending airlines.
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20151210001083
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Thailand spared from EU's blacklist of airlines
BRUSSELS - The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) did not put any Thai airlines on its list of
carriers banned from flying into the EU on Thursday, an EU official said, 10 days after the U.S. aviation
body downgraded Thailand.
EASA, in cooperation with the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, regularly updates the list
of airlines banned from flying into the 28-member European Union because of safety concerns.
Indonesian carriers Lion Air remained on the blacklist, the EU official said.
The fact that no Thai airlines appeared on the list will be a boon for Thai Airways International, the only
major airline flying into Europe from the Asian country.
The result of EASA audit came a week after U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Dec 1
downgraded Thailand's safety ratings because its civil aviation body failed to tackle flaws in its
commercial aviation standards.
EASA visited Thailand earlier this year and on Wednesday Thailand's Directorate General of Civil Aviation
signed an agreement with the European body in which EASA would help Thailand improve its air safety
oversight.
Europe is Thailand's second largest tourism market, with the number of European tourists accounting for
about 18 percent of total international visitors this year.
Europe contributes about 30 percent of Thai Airways'revenue, analysts said.
About four million European visitors travel to Thailand every year, of whom one million fly with Thai
Airways, according to data from the Thai tourism council.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/thailand-spared-eus-blacklist-airlines
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New Yorker pleads guilty to disrupting Jet Blue flight on way to PBIA
WEST PALM BEACH - A 29-year-old New York City man who punched a flight attendant on a Jet Blue
flight to Palm Beach International Airport pleaded guilty Wednesday to interference with a flight
attendant.
Wearing a navy blue polo shirt and jeans, Alija Kucuk admitted in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach
that he shoved two flight attendants, then punched another one shortly after the Jet Blue flight took off
from John F. Kennedy International Airport on Oct. 15. While he was initially also charged with
threatening to destroy an aircraft, a federal grand jury declined to indict him on that charge.
Kucuk, who has been living with cousins who own a used car dealership in Fort Lauderdale, faces a
maximum 20-year prison term and possible $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Feb. 12. U.S. District
Judge Kenneth Ryskamp allowed him to remain free on $50,000 bond. He and his attorney declined
comment after the brief hearing.
The flight attendants were beginning food and beverage service when Kucuk ran down the aisle of the
aircraft, according to a report by an FBI agent. After pushing two flight attendants out of his way, Kucuk
punched a male flight attendant who was trying to calm him down.
As the two tussled, Kucuk hurled racial slurs at the flight attendant and threatened to "blow up the
plane," the agent wrote. Kucuk was eventually restrained and the flight continued to PBIA without
further interruptions.
Prosecutors initially recommended a $20,000 bond but increased the amount after they discovered
Kucuk had failed to appear in court in New York on minor drug charges and traffic violations.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/new-yorker-pleads-guilty-to-disrupting-jet-blue-
fl/npgDM/
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ISIL cyberattack on airplane unlikely, federal intelligence analysts reported
OTTAWA - The prospect of a terrorist cyberattack on an airplane struck federal intelligence analysts as
more pie-in-the-sky than a real possibility, newly released documents show.
The modern airliner's reliance on digital flight-control systems make some believe planes are vulnerable
to malware that could be uploaded either online or through a direct connection, notes an assessment by
Transport Canada's security intelligence assessment branch.
Although there are no confirmed cases of malware being used to hijack an aircraft's flight systems, it is
"theoretically possible to do so," says the November 2014 assessment, recently obtained under the
Access to Information Act.
"Changing flight control settings at critical times (landing or takeoff) could be catastrophic," the note
allowed, but added: "The likelihood of such an event is assessed as very low."
There were suggestions that a 2010 Spanair crash could have been caused by a cyberattack because the
plane's flaps and wing slats were in the wrong position, but this had not been communicated
electronically to the flight crew, the analysts pointed out.
"Investigators were unable to determine if malware was the cause of the system fault."
British researchers were working to limit the effects of a possible attack by adding software that
recognizes a malicious bug and routes around it, Transport Canada added.
The issue emerged again in January when messages posted on a forum related to the extremist Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant suggested a virtual attack on western aviation. Hacking air-traffic control
computers and jamming communications with aircraft could trigger hundreds or even thousands of
accidents, one poster commented.
Tampering with the computers "would be like a nuclear bomb exploded in the centre of the White
House," the individual wrote.
A three-page Transport Canada assessment, parts of which remain secret, played down the online
boasts, saying "there was no mention of how to cause such a shutdown or what was required to do so."
The federal analysts acknowledged that, according to expert hackers, it is possible to create non-existent
ghost aircraft signals that would create confusion for air-traffic controllers and pilots, who would not
know which ones were real.
However, the tests were all performed in a laboratory setting, the assessment says. In addition, the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration has pointed to multiple levels of redundancy and cross-checking of data
with radar to ensure aircraft would never be endangered by spoofed signals.
As a result, the "jihadi statement that any malfunction or hack into the system is guaranteed to cause an
aircraft collision is simply not the case," the Transport Canada assessment concluded.
The department also expressed skepticism about another potential vulnerability cited by experts -
infiltration of a plane's satellite communication system (SATCOM) through the in-flight entertainment
console.
"The entertainment system is electronically separate from the other aircraft systems and only shares a
power source. Currently there are no routes with which a passenger could infect the aircraft SATCOM or
navigation systems via the entertainment console," the intelligence assessment says.
"Therefore, the possibility of a terrorist being able to directly influence the flight via the entertainment
system is assessed as very low."
A few months later, court documents revealed the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation was probing a
man's claim that he had made a plane move sideways by executing a hack via the entertainment
system.
A Transport Canada spokeswoman had nothing immediate to add to the department's assessments.
Safe air travel is a critical priority for Canadians, and vital to national security generally, said Marc-Andre
O'Rourke, executive director of the National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents major carriers
including Air Canada.
"Given the security nature of this issue, we are unable to comment further."
http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2015/12/10/isil-cyberattack-on-airplane-unlikely-federal-
intelligence-analysts-reported.html
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Singapore, land of the world's best airport, will soon manage a few in India
Changi Airport in Singapore consistently wins international accolades. Ranked No. 1 in the Skytrax World
Airport Awards for the past three years, it's particularly noted for its 500,000 plants and many gardens,
which are overseen by a team of dedicated horticulturalists. Now, the same company that manages
Changi looks set to take over management and operations of two airports in India.
A Singapore government agency has signed an agreement with the state-run Airports Authority of India
(AAI) under which Changi Airports International will manage the airports in Ahmedabad and Jaipur. The
news follows a visit to Singapore in late November by India prime minister Narendra Modi. The decision
was a government-to-government one with no bidding for the contract, details of which are yet to be
finalized, AAI chairman RK Srivastava told the Economic Times.
Under the arrangement, Changi would be paid a fee (rather than enter a concessional arrangement) to
manage the terminal operations and parking at the two airports, responsibilities currently handled by
AAI, according to the Press Trust of India. In 2014-15 the Ahmedabad airport handled about 5 million
passengers, out of which 1.2 million were international travelers, according to the news agency. By
2023-24, those figures will be 6.8 million and 3.7 million, respectively. (Jaipur's smaller airport handled
2.2 million in 2014-15.)
By contrast, last year Changi Airport handled more than 54 million passengers (pdf).
India, with its outdated airports and fast-growing air traffic, presents a promising scenario for airport
operators. In a November report (pdf, p. 19) PricewaterhouseCoopers wrote that India has one of the
world's highest forecasts for airport infrastructure investment, amounting to about $14 billion over the
next decade. Srivastava estimates India needs 200 operational airports, compared to today's 125. (Many
airports simply need to be made operational, as India currently has a significant number of eerie "ghost
airports.")
In late October the country's civil aviation ministry proposed a slew of measures that could lower the
cost of flying within Asia's third-largest economy and boost regional connectivity, which would lead to
significant jumps in traffic in the years to follow. The nation is currently the world's 10th-largest aviation
market and aims to be in the top three.
Ahmedabad is the nation's fifth-largest city and has a population of about 7 million. Set to receive both
Singaporean airport management and Japanese bullet trains, the city has a powerful friend in the prime
minister. Before winning the job in May 2014, Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat-the largest city of
which is Ahmedabad.
http://qz.com/569521/singapore-land-of-the-worlds-best-airport-will-soon-manage-a-few-in-india/
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Honda Aircraft receives type certification for HondaJet
* Federal Aviation Administration approval allows for deliveries of the jet to begin
* It also creates new competition in the business jet market for Textron Aviation and Learjet
* HondaJet is likely the first of more business jets to come
Customers examine Honda Aircraft Co.'s HondaJet, on display at Henderson Executive Airport as part of
the National Business Aviation Association Convention in November in Las Vegas.
Honda Aircraft has been awarded final type certification for the HondaJet, allowing deliveries of the light
business jet to begin.
The certification also means that the full effect of Honda Aircraft's first aircraft offering will begin to be
felt in the business jet market and by competing aircraft makers, including Wichita's Textron Aviation
and Bombardier Learjet.
While the single-pilot HondaJet - with seating for up to six passengers and a $4.5 million price tag -
comes in at the low end of the business jet market, one expert thinks the jet is only the company's first
offering.
"I think you have to look at the Honda investment as a long-term investment," aviation forecaster
Rolland Vincent said Wednesday. "They've made a bet on business aviation ... This is the beginning. This
is not the end."
Honda Aircraft said in a news release Wednesday evening that the certification was awarded Tuesday. It
said it will begin to ramp up production of the airplane, 25 of which are on its final assembly line.
FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said in an e-mail to The Eagle that the type certificate had been
awarded, but referred details of it to Honda Aircraft.
$4.5 million Price tag for a new HondaJet
The awarding of the certificate comes 12 years after a proof-of-concept HondaJet took flight on Dec. 3,
2003. In 2006, the company made application for type certification. In March, it was awarded provisional
type certification by the FAA.
"We established Honda Aircraft as a new aerospace company and introduced our first product - an
advanced light jet with technologies developed from serious research activities," Honda Aircraft CEO
Michimasa Fujino said in Wednesday's release. "We designed, tested, and have now certified this clean-
sheet design aircraft - an unprecedented challenge for Honda."
Vincent said while the development and certification process has been a "very long process," Honda
Aircraft has "done things very well and very carefully."
"The build quality is impressive," he said. "The composite fuselage is very, very clean."
Vincent added the performance of the jet, including its fuel burn and speed, "sets a new, high
watermark."
More importantly, he thinks the more than 500,000 square feet of facilities the company has built at the
Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C., has the capacity to produce more than just one
type of jet.
"They have sized and scaled the business to go up market," he said.
That said, Honda Aircraft will have to validate itself to the business jet market. It can't do it by simply
staking itself on the reputation of its automaker parent.
"Honda, of course, is a magical brand," Vincent said. "And in this segment they'll have to prove
themselves."
The proof will come not only in Honda Aircraft's ability to sell the new jets, but also the ability to service
and support them all over the world, Vincent said.
Vincent said the biggest difference in Honda Aircraft's business plan compared with other business jet
manufacturers is its distribution network. Instead of selling directly to the buyer, in some parts of the
U.S. it has created a network of dealers that will sell the jets to buyers.
"You see it in the turboprop market, but not in the jet market," he said.
"We'll see where that all goes," Vincent added. "I think the distribution model, where they have dealers,
is untested."
http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article48919530.html#storylink=cpy
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Boeing delivers fourth 737 radar jet to Turkey
Boeing (NYSE: BA) delivered a fourth 737-based airborne command center to Turkey on Wednesday,
reflecting the continued success of one of the planemaker's lesser-known military derivatives of a
commercial jet.
The other two derivatives are the 737-based P-8 submarine hunter, and the 767-based airborne tanker.
All three of them are bringing significant amounts of work to the Puget Sound region. That includes
Renton, where the 737 airframes are built, and Everett where the 767 are assembled. It also includes
Boeing Field, where the military equipment is integrated.
The Turkish version of the 737-based command and control center jet, known as the Peace Eagle,
features a large radar array above its fuselage.
The 737-based computer and radar-packed airborne command center jets are called Peace Eagles by the
Turkish government.
Their purpose is to watch over operations of an enemy on the ground and in the air, and help direct
ground and air movements against that enemy. The jets come equipped with 10 consoles, from which
operators on board can monitor the information from their surveillance equipment.
The jets are technically called "airborne early warning and control" (AEW&C) aircraft. Purchasing
countries have tended to avoid that mouthful by giving more evocative names.
Australia calls its jets Wedgetails; Turkey uses Peace Eagle; and Korea calls its planes Peace Eyes. The
most recent buyer, Qatar, ordered three of the jets in 2014 worth $1.8 billion, according to IHS Jane's
Defence Weekly.
The just-delivered Turkish Peace Eagle was flown to Konya Air Base in Turkey. It featured upgraded
software, which is to be also added to the previous three jets.
So far Boeing has delivered 14 of the jets.
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2015/12/09/boeing-delivers-fourth-737-radar-jet-to-
turkey.html
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Boeing Debuts Major Upgrade To Its Most Popular Jet
The Boeing 737 MAX is now available.
The upgraded version of the company's most popular jetliner is 40% quieter than its predecessor, and
also about 20% more fuel efficient.
Boeing plans to test fly the jet in early 2016 and deliver the first commercial ready jets by 2017.
The 737 first debuted in 1967 and is by far the most common plane in the world. In fact, it's the only
plane used by some airlines, notably Southwest.
Boeing has produced and delivered more than 9,000 737's over the last 50 years. The company already
has 3,000 orders for the 737 MAX.
The company will continue to produce older versions of the 737, which it will deliver over the next five
years.
The 737 MAX is being built at an unionized Boeing plant in the Seattle metro area.
The company has been praised for making sure the first 737 Max was completed on schedule, an issue
that has plagued other jets in its lineup, notably the 787 Dreamliner, which was delayed by several
years.
http://www.businesspundit.com/boeing-debuts-major-upgrade-to-its-most-popular-jet/
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Airbus patented new designs for a jet that could fly from London to New York in 1 hour
Airbus on Wednesday filed a second patent for a plane that can fly from London to New York in less than
one hour, Patent Yogi first reported.
The patent includes a huge rocket engine that would enable the jet to travel at more than four times the
speed of sound, which means it could cross the Atlantic in less time that it takes to cross London on a
bus.
Plans for a supersonic jet were first released by Airbus in July this year, but it looks as though the
company has gone back to the drawing board to make improvements to their initial design. The two
designs have clear differences.
Here's a graphic of the original July design, which looks very different to a traditional passenger jet:
And this is what the new design looks like in the patent images. It's far more conventional:
Airbus supersonic jet
US Patent Office
The airplane is described by the company as "a space aircraft capable of taking off from the ground in
the usual manner, reaching an altitude of at least a hundred kilometres, flying at a transsonic or even
supersonic speed, and then landing in the usual manner of an aircraft."
The plane would have a huge rocket engine at the back of the body, with two turbojet engines on either
side of it. The turbojets would fly the plane up to a certain altitude, before the rocket engine ignites,
sending the plane vertically upwards to its final altitude.
At first ignition, the rocket engine would make a huge supersonic boom, creating enormous drag on the
aircraft, which Airbus says it would counter this with anti-drag flaps.
airbus patent flaps
US Patent Office
When it released the original designs back in July, Airbus said that the hypersonic jet could have both
civilian and military applications. In civilian trim, the craft could serve as private jet or as an airliner with
room for 20 passengers. When used by the military, the jet could serve as transport for soldiers or as a
reconnaissance plane.
Patent Yogi has released a great video showing just how Airbus' new design might look if it ever actually
goes into production.
Airbus, like many technology companies, files hundreds of patents a year to protect its intellectual
property. It doesn't mean all of these ideas will become reality. Two weeks ago, for example, it patented
a crazy new way of loading passengers onto planes.
The vast majority of patents never get off the drawing board, but the fact that the company has filed two
separate patents for the same device suggests that it may seriously be considering trying to make the
supersonic jet in the coming years.
The full patent filing can be viewed on Patent Yogi's website, or check out the site's full video below:
http://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-patented-new-designs-for-supersonic-transatlantic-jet-2015-
12?r=UK&IR=T
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Free snacks are back at United Airlines. Yes, in economy
The 'stroopwafel' will be among United's free breakfast snack offerings for economy class passengers.
(Photo: United Airlines)
The Chicago-based carrier announced Wednesday that it's restoring that once-common airline perk
beginning in February.
"We're refocusing on the big and little things that we know matter to our customers and shape how they
feel about their travel experience," Jimmy Samartzis, United's vice president of food services and United
Clubs, says in a statement. "We're bringing back complimentary snacks that are a nod to our global
presence. They also add that extra level of service our employees will be proud to deliver and will make
a big difference for our customers."
The free snacks will be offered on all of United's flights in North America, the Caribbean and between
Honolulu and Guam that did not already have a complimentary meal or snack option in coach class. The
move comes as new United CEO Oscar Munoz has tried to put customer service in the spotlight at the
carrier, acknowledging earlier this fall that "the implementation of the United and Continental merger
has been rocky for customers and employees."
As for the reintroduction of free snacks, United says coach-class customers on flights that depart before
9:45 a.m. will receive a morning stroopwafel, which the carrier describes as "a Dutch, caramel-filled
waffle that pairs perfectly with coffee or tea."
For flights that depart after 9:45 a.m., economy customers will get "packaged savory snacks, such as an
Asian-style snack mix of rice crackers, sesame sticks and wasabi peas or a zesty-ranch mix of mini
pretzel sticks, Cajun corn sticks and ranch soy nuts."
The free snacks will be offered in tandem with United's for-pay "Choice Menu" items. Those items range
from small snacks like Chex Mex ($3.99) and Pringles ($3.99) to more robust breakfast, lunch and
dinner options that cost up to $9.99. The availability of the Choice Menu options varies by flight.
United's Latin America flights that already had free meals in coach will not receive the new snacks since
the airline will retain its current complimentary offerings in those markets.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2015/12/09/free-snacks--back--united-
airlines-yes--economy/77035196/
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Research Survey
Dear Aviation Colleagues,
***Survey Link https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8nOzSNWYbDGqIsJ ***(copy directly into
web browser if link does not work).***
My name is Tyler Spence. I am a PhD student at Purdue University working with Dr. Mary Johnson in the
Purdue School of Aviation and Transportation Technology.
In the survey that follows, we are seeking input on flight data analysis that may be derived from aircraft
with flight data monitoring capabilities like the Garmin G1000, Avidyne Entegra, or Aspen Evolution
1000. We are seeking your input on how we can use metrics, methods, and prototype graphs to improve
safety from GA pilots' perspectives.
This effort is a part of an FAA-sponsored research project that is exploring ways to improve General
Aviation safety performance using flight data. More specifically, our goal is to develop innovative
techniques to analyze and present flight data in ways that are useful and meaningful to GA pilots and
operators. We are seeking feedback from anyone who uses the GA system including pilots, maintenance
personnel, flight instructors, pilot examiners, aircraft owners (individual or fleet), flight data analysts,
and administrators.
The survey comprises two main sections:
1) Opinions of flight data monitoring and the use of a national database. This part of the survey
should take about 10 minutes to complete.
2) Potential flight analysis graphs and figures that could be included in the application tool. This part
of the survey should take about 30 minutes to complete.
You are free to not answer any questions, and stop participation in the survey at any time. No personally
identifiable information will be collected. All answers reported in analysis will only be in aggregate
without any connection to you on any response you may provide.
Thank you very much for your participation on this survey. Your responses are greatly appreciated and
will hopefully help the aviation industry improve the GA safety record.
If you have any questions regarding this survey or the information contained within, please feel free to
contact the researchers directly at either spence5@purdue.edu or mejohnson@purdue.edu.
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Upcoming Events:
New HFACS workshop
Las Vegas
December 15 & 16
www.hfacs.com
2016 DTI SMS/QA Symposium
January 3, 4, & 5 2016
Disney World, FL
1-866-870-5490
www.dtiatlanta.com
6th European Business Aviation Safety Conference 2016
February 23-24, 2016
Frankfurt, Germany
www.ebascon.eu
2016 Air Charter Safety Symposium | Safety: A Small Investment for a Rich Future
March 8-9, 2016 | NTSB Training Center | Ashburn, VA
http://www.acsf.aero/events/acsf-symposium/
CHC Safety & Quality Summit | Back to Basics: Prioritizing Safety in a Challenging Economy
April 4-6, 2016
Vancouver, BC
www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com
BARS Auditor Training
Washington, DC
Tuesday-Thursday 5-7 April
http://flightsafety.org/bars/auditor-training
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JOBS AVAILABLE:
Deputy Director of Flight Operations & Technical Services
Helicopter Association International
https://www.rotor.org/AboutHAI/Employment.aspx
Position Available: Airline Safety Manager - Investigation (Engineering)
Cathay Pacific
https://career10.successfactors.com/career?_s.crb=Q%252ffWkAOt5SsrsXlBnG3GK%252bmGYsU%253d
Curt Lewis